Carrots

Even those into their "meat & 2 veg" would often find carrots on their plates.

So here's a bit on the history of carrots, why they're so good for you, how to store them and even how to disguise them, for fussy eaters!

Buy?

Use your carrots while they're still firm, rather than rubbery.

It doesn't matter what shape they are (and we've seen some fascinating ones over the years!), they're all still edible.

Large carrots tend to be more woody and are better in casseroles and soups. Smaller carrots are sweeter and easier to get kids to eat.

They keep for longer if they're still muddy, so there's no need to be tempted by the ultra-clean versions in plastic bags. There's no soil left to protect them and the bags make them sweat and they go rotten quickly...

Store?

The carrots in your veg box will probably be supplied in their natural, muddy state. This is good news because they keep for longer, with the mud coating.
Store them in a paper bag in a cool dark place (not the fridge) for a week or more.

If your carrots are beautifully cleaned and washed, they'll only keep for a few days before going mouldy and soft.

They're best stored in the fridge and used quickly. Remember to wash them thoroughly before use, as you don't know whether they were washed in chlorine or other chemicals.

Cook?

Organic carrots don't need to be peeled, unless they're looking manky and have been stored for ages.

They just need a good scrub with a vegetable brush and washing in cold water.

This is great because many of the nutrients are either in or just below the skin.

With non-organic carrots, many of the chemicals used in farming are stored in the skin, so it's probably better to peel them.

Carrots can be grated, raw, in salads and coleslaw, sliced and steamed or boiled for 5-8 minutes (depending on thickness) or added to soups and casseroles.

Remember that the vitamin C in carrots is water soluble. So if you boil them, much of the vitamin C will end up in the water, rather than your dinner. To get round this, keep the water for use as a stock.

More Carrots Information

Carrots are a root vegetable that probably originates from Central Asia and was originally purple in colour.

The orange version we know and love today was brought to the West by The Netherlands, around the 1500s and became popular across Europe by the 1700s.

Carrots are a good source of vitamin C and beta-carotene, both of which are important anti-oxidants.

Did you know...
You can also get carrots in white, red and purple???

Do carrots really help you see in the dark?

Yes! The beta-carotene they contain is converted by the liver into Vitamin A, which the retina uses to create rhodopsin, essential for night vision.

Maple Glazed Carrots

Rather than just boiling your carrots, why not roast them with an orange and maple syrup glaze? Great for winter carrots that need a bit of extra sweetness.

Ingredients

Serves 4

Enough carrots for 4 people

1 tablespoon maple syrup (or honey)

2 tablespoons orange juice (not squash / cordial)

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 200 C. Put your potato roasting tin in the oven to pre-heat.

Scrub the carrots . There's no need to peel them, unless the skins are a bit bad.

Chop to the size you want to roast.

Put the orange juice and maple syrup in a bowl and mix well. Add the carrots and mix well, ensuring all carrots are coated with the glaze.

When the oven is hot, put the carrots in the roasting tin, with any spare juices from the bowl. Spread into an even layer.

Roast for 20 minutes, then take the tray out of the oven (to keep the oven hot) and turn all the carrots, to allow all surfaces to get crispy.

This is a great way of using up the end of your veg box. It works well with most vegetables. It's a tasty, but healthy recipe, because you don't even need to use any fat. Just prepare the veggies, chuck them in a pan with the stock and stir occasionally. My kind of after-work cooking!

This recipe is suitable for freezing. At the end of step 3, place the patties on a paper lined baking tray and freeze until solid. Wrap in bags then freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in a single layer on a baking tray before cooking.

The sweetness of sauted carrots and onions balance the pungence of the celeriac in this carrot and celeriac soup recipe. The coriander leaves give the finished soup a real lift, turning it into a filling autumn or winter treat.

Watercress is farmed most of the year nowadays, but it's true season is spring.
It's packed with nutrients and is usually served raw in salads. But in this recipe, it's lightly cooked in a stir fry and served with noodles. Delicious.

We've been so blessed with recipe submissions from our readers, and from enthusiastic veg box providers around the country that it's been a while since we've invented a new one of our own.

Last week we received a box that contained carrots, chard, mushrooms, shallots and turnips. We already had a can of mixed beans in the cupboard, garlic cloves, some unfinished goats cheese in the fridge and a big box of quinoa.

We've been so blessed with recipe submissions from our readers, and from enthusiastic veg box providers around the country that it's been a while since we've invented a new one of our own.

Last week we received a box that contained carrots, chard, mushrooms, shallots and turnips. We already had a can of mixed beans in the cupboard, garlic cloves, some unfinished goats cheese in the fridge and a big box of quinoa.

This recipe came to us from our friends at British Carrots to accompany our feature on ethical meat consumption.

They say:

"The next time you’re having a roast chicken, this soup is the ideal thing for the next day. Use the chicken bones to make delicious fresh chicken stock, the last bits of chicken meat and any leftover vegetables like potatoes or peas - all can be stirred in. Pearl barley thickens the soup and makes it really hearty too. It’s a delicious, warming soup for any time of year."

This delicious recipe makes the most of summer's courgettes (zucchini) and cracked bulgar wheat is a delicious, nutty companion to the creamy smoothness of the courgettes. It also works well with couscous or quinoa, if you prefer.

If you enjoy the slightly aniseed taste of fennel, then you’ll love this coleslaw. If you’re not yet convinced, then rest assured that the carrots and other ingredients temper the aniseed and you might actually find you enjoy fennel!

A recent dilemma: 30 minutes before we have to leave the house. We're starving. We've only got odds and ends left in the fridge to use. Cue "Flight of the Bumble-Bee" and chopping for my life - it was stir fry time!

This is a deliciously simple recipe for patty pan squashes (also called custard squash or scallop squash).
The secret ingredient turns it into a tasty, hot salsa, with lots of potential variations. Great with rice, quinoa or as a jacket potato filling.

This recipe has been most generously shared with us by the wonderful folks over at The Nearly Naked Veg Company. We hope you enjoy it, and that you take a minute to check out their website, which is another great source of tasty seasonal recipes and an online veg and fruit box shop to boot.

Spaghetti Bolognese doesn't have to be reserved for meat-eaters. If you fancy a change, this veggie option is delicious. And it's a good way of using up spare veg box tomatoes and onions. See the variations for ideas of how to use up spare carrots, mushrooms or even runner beans in this dish.

This carrot cake recipe takes just ½ an hour from start to eating and they're really easy to make. Kids love them and the grown-ups don't take much persuading either! So if you've got some carrots to use up, it's time to get baking.
Top tip: These are great for Hallowe'en or a bonfire night party!

In Japan, Miso soup is often eaten daily and is believed to help the digestive system. This variation on the original adds in a few vegetables, with optional tofu, to make a soup substantial enough for a lunch or light supper.

This recipe was sent in to us by Anita J. We love the title and we can't wait to try it, especially on a cold evening. Anita says:

"We created this recipe to use parsnips of which my partner and I are not big fans. I enjoy the challenge of coming up with ways of using the vegetables I get in the veg box as I feel veg should be used in season and we are a little spoiled these days with all round veg. The main ingredients are parsnip and carrot... hence "Parrot". This recipe has a great "flow" as while you are waiting for one stage to finish you can be preparing the next stage."

This coleslaw recipe gets an extra zing with the addition of peanut butter to the sauce. It’s packed with delicious fresh vegetables and fruits, but misses out the traditional onion, which makes it a bit more “lunch-time-friendly”, if you know what I mean!

This rice salad looks lovely if moulded in a bowl and served turned out onto a large plate. It’s easy to make and the raw carrot and spring onion provide an interesting texture contrast to the cooked lentils and rice.

Roast Parsnip is a delicious and simple way of serving this autumnal vegetable. The roasting cooks the parsnip slowly, making them even sweeter than they already are. Throw in a few spare carrots and double the veggie quota. And experiment with adding herbs or even balsamic vinegar to the mix for extra flavour.

This is a delicious recipe for baby or Chantenay carrots and other roots veggies. The secret ingredient gives it a warming kick. Make the most of your turnips, swedes, parsnips and sweet potatoes. You can also use celeriac or kohlrabi.

Thanks to all the wonderful folks that submitted their recipes for the Dorling Kindersley "Grown in Britain" Prize Draw.

The recipe lucky enough to be pulled from the bag was submitted by Sebastien Durieu from Glasgow, who says:

"I am trying to eat seasonal food because is fresher and so tends to be tastier and more nutritious. It is also important to support my local economy and reduce the energy needed to transport the food. I feel I am making an effort to reconnect with nature's cycles and the passing of time. I have now started growing my own selection of seasonal vegetables on my patio at home."

Well we like the passion, we love the recipe and we really hope the book is a valuable addition to Sebastien's collection. Here's how to make yours!

This has turned out to be by far our favourite new recipe of the Summer season. It was so exciting to make our own burgers for the first time, and SO easy. These little fellas could be created with so many different ingredients added into the basic mix, depending on the season, although we’re struggling to think how they could get any tastier than in this version.

Thanks to our friend David_d from the Ooffoo community for suggesting we give them a go.

This has turned out to be by far our favourite new recipe of the Summer season. It was so exciting to make our own burgers for the first time, and SO easy. These little fellas could be created with so many different ingredients added into the basic mix, depending on the season, although we’re struggling to think how they could get any tastier than in this version.

Thanks to our friend David_d from the Ooffoo community for suggesting we give them a go.

Cooking spring / early summer vegetables lightly and serving them with pasta is a delicious way to enjoy the first signs of summer. This recipe is quick and easy and only uses one pan – always a bonus...

This dish is easy to make and browning the finished dish under a grill turns it into something special. You can use a variety of seasonal veggies, so try out whatever’s around. The vegetables suggested here are just a starting point!

Quinoa (pronounced “keen-wa”) is a South American “grain” – actually a seed. It’s considered by many to be a super-food, because of the balance of proteins it contains. It's easy to cook and delicious.

This recipe also uses sunflower or walnut oil in the dressing (high in essential fatty acids), so it's a super-tasty, super-healthy meal.

This is a great way of using in-season sprouting broccoli and end-of-season, stored carrots. My favourite way of eating this is with Thai-style bean curd, but firm tofu or Halloumi cheese both work well, too. It’s a really quick meal – just 10 minutes – yet is filling and tasty.

I've never been a huge fan of swede (rutabaga), but this swede mash recipe actually had us all coming back for more. It's sweet, deliciously creamy and the pepper gives it a real kick. We're all looking forward to the arrival of our next swede!

This is a delicious summer soup. Lighter than those of winter, it makes the most of the new season’s vegetables, whilst still filling you up and being wonderfully warming. You can use haricot beans or butter beans for this recipe, depending which you prefer.
The main thing is to stick to what’s in season with the vegetables. That way they’ll be packed with flavour – and good for you too!

This recipe has been kindly donated by The British Potato Council. It's so simple yet good enough to serve at a dinner party. Depending on the time of year you make it, you may have to do without the red pepper.

This recipe uses mange tout (snow peas) in a warm salad. Light cooking can bring out the sweetness of the mange tout and new-season carrots, and the radishes give things a little kick. This side dish takes literally a few minutes to throw together.

This is a great way to use up spare pancakes – or it’s easy to make them fresh. By rolling them into cannelloni shapes, filled with the vegetables, you can bake them and turn this into a treat of a dinner.